this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2023
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This is incorrect. Here's the data:
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/
I know it's counterintuitive, but preventing access to easily lethal means of suicide decreases the number of deaths by suicide, and there's a lot of data confirming this. Suicidal crises are spontaneous and temporary MOST of the time, and 90% of people who attempt suicide do not go on to die by suicide by some other means in the future after they are rescued.
I completely agree with you that firearms greatly increase the likelihood of a suicide attempt and the success of that attempt, and that is a problem. The data shows that clearly. That being the case, so many people being suicidal at all is a more fundamental issue. Of course I support making it less likely that suicidal people will make attempts and be successful, but it's also important to consider why suicidality is such an increasingly severe issue.
Usually when a politician says "We are undergoing a mental health crisis" they mean "The mind is magic so if you think happy thoughts these problems will disappear," but it is very obvious to me at least anecdotally that mental health is generally getting worse which requires broad medical intervention. Sure it doubles the work to do and lazy cowardly Republicans want to pretend that neither problem exists, but both issues are very pressing in my opinion and worth addressing.
Oh, no doubt that we need to fix the societal problems driving the increase in suicide rates. But even in better economic times, restricting access to more lethal means is good public policy.